Generic battery charger for G1

[sangio]

Hi Folks:

I see some travel chargers for the G1/GH1/GF1... no cord, direct plug-in to outlet.... offered for as little as $7 to $10 on Amazon and eBay. There are quite a few different vendors, but the chargers all look the same, so they probably all come out the same factory in China.

Has anyone purchased and used one of these? I'm assuming they're safe, but how good are they at this price?

thanks
Santo

 

[kwalsh]

I have one, I actually just put the Panasonic one back in the box - it is too large and has that stupid plug cord to pack along as well. The third party one has worked fine for me so far, sometimes you can get them even cheaper packaged with a spare battery.

Ken

 

[sangio]

I have one, I actually just put the Panasonic one back in the box - it is too large and has that stupid plug cord to pack along as well. The third party one has worked fine for me so far, sometimes you can get them even cheaper packaged with a spare battery.

Ken

Thanks Ken,

I'm going to order one. For the price, there's not much risk.... unless the battery blows up that is...

I've seen the charger/battery combos as well, but those are generic batteries which I presume won't work with the lastest Panasonic firmware.

regards
Santo

 

[Tullio]

I bought this one...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002KTNBMI/ref=ox_ya_oh_product

Can't beat that deal. The battery was a plus and works great and lasts as long as the original (at least for now...usually over time those 3rd party batts tend to run out of steam real fast).

 

[henningw]

I bought this one...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002KTNBMI/ref=ox_ya_oh_product

Can't beat that deal. The battery was a plus and works great and lasts as long as the original (at least for now...usually over time those 3rd party batts tend to run out of steam real fast).

My experience doesn't support that. I've generally always bought 3rd party batteries (by now about 15 different battery types) and I've had one dud OEM and one dud 3rd party, and have used 3rd party to OEM's in about a 3:1 ratio.

I now use the hacked 1.4 firmware with my G1 so I can use all third party batteries.

Henning

 

[Godfrey]

While I usually use OEM batteries, I do have a pair of no-name batteries I bought from BestBatt.com (http://www.bestbatt.com) for the Panasonic L1. And the ubiquitous little travel charger. I've been using them since 2007: they perform identically to the OEM original battery and charger that came in the box.

Just checked their website and they're now offering the same thing for the G1/GF1/GH1 :: batteries guaranteed to be useable with fw v1.2 and up as well as the travel charger. About $22 each for batteries and charger.

I've been very satisfied with BestBatt.com's service and the quality of the products they distribute. I'll likely order a battery and a charger soon, certainly the charger.

 

[Tullio]

...
I now use the hacked 1.4 firmware with my G1 so I can use all third party batteries.

Henning

This is not a hack firmware but an official version released by Panasonic, which did not contain the battery check in the code. Once they realized the mistake, they pulled the f/w and replaced it with a new version. There are hundreds of 3rd party battery makers out there. Most of them produce real crappy products that won't last nearly as long as the original. That's how they make money. However, there are a few reputable companies such as Lenmar and CTA wich will produce decent replacement batteries at a much lower cost.